Search - Dennis Brown :: Let Me Be the One

While the soul of the crown prince, D. Brown, has left us, his musical balm remains. The man has written and recorded some of reggae's most inspirational compositions, including "Wolves and Leopards," "Sitting and Watching," and "Revolution." Unfortunately, although it is not without merit, Brown's final offering, Let Me Be the One, doesn't rank among his best work.A lovely duet with the elusive Cool Ruler, Gregory Isaacs, entitled "Baby I'ma Want You" puts this album into the must-have category, but the rest of the material (including a stutter-step rendition of that Tom Jones chestnut "What's New Pussycat?") is lackluster. Unimaginative lyrics meet the standard set by the technically proficient yet sterile musical accompaniment. There is a noticeable lack of chemistry between Brown's vocals and the rhythms, which is surprising, considering that Sly Dunbar, Sidney Mills, and Dean Fraser are featured artists. However, Brown's beautiful voice and the duet salvage the production. --Rebecca Levine